What Is Professionalism?

"Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It's leadership."
         -Ralph Marston


We can all agree on the value of professionalism. Regardless of our individual areas of expertise. we are constantly encouraged to "be professional". And indeed, professionalism in and of itself is certainly a worthy goal. But what exactly is professionalism?

For the choral conductor, we suggest a basic set of values under the overarching umbrella of professionalism. These include:

• timeliness (in rehearsal and in communication)
• respect for your position and for the individuals with whom you work, as expressed in your manner of dress, speech and demeanor
• preparedness, both musically and mentally
• the ability to manage logistics and protracted calendars
• positivity

The last value listed may seem subjective compared to the others, but we believe that positivity is a key ingredient to professionalism when working with groups of individuals. Like the football coach who is able to give an inspiring speech to his team after a crushing loss, choral conductors should be able to "turn on" positivity for the benefit of their ensembles, even in difficult circumstances. 

Merriam-Webster defines professionalism as "the skill, good judgement, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well." This is an adequate encapsulation of what it means to be professional in any arena. 

Too often, however, we see a blatant lack of professionalism from conductors, who as leaders should be setting the tone for their organizations. How many times have we seen a conductor exhibit one of these behaviors:

• being late to his/her own rehearsal, or walking in just before the scheduled downbeat
• lack of professional dress (flip flops, jeans, shorts, etc.) and lack of professional demeanor (profanity or overly emotional, personal statements)
• lack of musical or mental preparation
• failure to plan far enough in advance to execute successfully
• negativity or lack of positive affirmation

Let's face it: being professional doesn't come naturally to most of us. The majority of us really have to work at being on time, dressing professionally, and staying positive when things get discouraging. We would certainly be more comfortable conducting a rehearsal in sweatpants and a t-shirt, but we realize that that isn't necessarily the way to convince our ensemble to invest in us. It takes an effort to exude professionalism, but by doing so, we empower ourselves and our ensembles to reach greater heights of artistry. 

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KRISHAN: Grant Gershon, who has conducted the Los Angeles Master Chorale since 2001, is one of the most consistently professional conductors I've ever known. And yet, no one would describe him as "straight-laced". A native Californian, Grant embodies so many positive traits that we associate with that great state: openness, geniality, energy, fun. But, as a chorister under his baton from 2008-2010, I was struck by his almost uncanny consistency. A formidable talent, his score preparation is always first-rate, even on world premieres by avant-garde composers. No matter what the repertoire is, Grant approaches it with the same respect and enthusiasm that he brings to the great masterworks of the canon. His "vibe" could be described as "laid-back"; but the truth is, when singing with Grant, you don't realize how hard you're working. On more than one occasion, I saw him handle a challenge from a prickly chorister with sprezzatura, his grace and good humor diffusing a potentially disruptive situation (in similar situations, I've often asked myself, "what would Grant do?"). On top of all this, Grant communicates deep respect for the people he leads. I once had the experience of socializing with him at a bar in Wisconsin, where we were staying overnight as part of a brief Midwestern tour. I don't remember all the details of our conversation- let's just say that the drinks were flowing freely and our hotel was only a few blocks away- but I do remember that, even in that situation, I didn't notice a change in his demeanor. He was more personal, of course, but he never lapsed into profanity or let the surroundings become an excuse to breach the professional bounds of his relationship with his choristers (as other conductors might have done in those circumstances). He was, as ever, our conductor, even in a social setting, and I've never forgotten that powerful example of true, consistent professionalism. 

KIRSTEN:  I have never been one for dressing up. If I could live every day in a t-shirt and jeans, I would. Doing my hair is always a hassle, and I've never been particularly good at make-up. However, for my first job teaching an after-school high school chorus the year after graduating college, I realized very quickly that I needed to set myself apart from my students by how I dressed and acted. I tried to convince myself that year that wearing jeans with a nice top would do the trick, but looking back I wish I had realized that it only worked against me. Even though it is very much against my nature, I now wake up an hour early to ensure that I am ready for the day, in a carefully picked wardrobe of brown, black, or grey dress pants, professional work tops, jackets, and cardigans. I noticed that once I began taking the time to look professional, I began to be more confident in my own inner professionalism.

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A good rule of thumb for professionalism is to err on the side of caution. No one is going to take us to task for being over-prepared, and it's unlikely that we'll find ourselves over-dressed for a rehearsal, audition or interview. Professionalism communicates respect for the people we lead. Perhaps more than anything we can say, our consistently professional demeanor reflects the ensemble's value back to them.